Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Minnesota-Wild

Many, including Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck, have said that, despite all of his success in Minnesota, Gaborik will be booed this evening.

“I can’t control how they are going to act,” Gaborik said of the Wild fans. “Hopefully it’s going to be pleasant. I think I’ve done a lot of good things there and had good success as an expansion team, so hopefully it’s going to be positive.”

Gaborik’s current teammate in New York, as well as former teammates in Minnesota, Derek Boogaard, hopes that Gaborik receives the warm response he feels he deserves.

“He put in a lot of good years for that organization and he did a lot of good things there, so if anything it should be all positive,” said Boogaard.

TORONTO (Nov. 13, 2010) – Minnesota Wild defenseman Brent Burns has been suspended for two games, without pay, for careless use of his stick in an incident with Florida Panthers’ player Steve Bernier at the conclusion of NHL game #230 on November 12, 2010.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Burns will forfeit $38,172.04. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s rehab assignment to Houston will have to wait. Bouchard, who hasn’t play a hockey game since Opening Night last season due to a concussion and subsequent post-concussion syndrome, had a conversation with Denver-based Dr. James Kelly on Thursday. Bouchard told the concussion specialist what he’s been telling us for months. He still has a certain pressure in his head, sometimes immediately after workouts, sometimes late in the afternoon, sometimes at nights.

He’s complained about this symptom since I talked to him on the phone in June, although he said it hasn’t gotten better. Kelly has “strongly recommended” to Bouchard to “hit pause.” That doesn’t mean he’s been shut down. Bouchard is allowed to continue to work out and practice normally (includes contact) with the Wild, but until he strings some days together without symptoms, he’s not able to take the next step and play some games.

The daily toast to last night’s stars around the league (with an extra day to quickly catch up on, thanks to an annoyance in another sector of my life that was completely beyond my control). Now then…

From Tuesday’s games, JJ’s Three Cheers go out to:

***Mathieu Garon of the Columbus Blue Jackets, for a 29-save, 3-0 shutout over Montreal**Minnesota’s Niklas Backstrom, for a 36-save, 1-0 blanking of San Jose*And big time cheers to Vancouver’s Raffi Torres, whose hat trick led the Canucks to a 4-3 win over Edmonton.

Michel Therrien wasn’t a perfect NHL coach, but he should rank atop the list of any in-season replacement candidates.

There is no indication he does, though. It’s puzzling, considering even his harshest critics among former Penguins players privately confided this week that Therrien knows hockey. To paraphrase one of his former players: Therrien knows pucks, but he doesn’t always know how to deal with people….

He would command respect again if given a chance to step behind a bench.

Reports of potential openings with New Jersey — despite general manager Lou Lamoriello’s claims to the contrary — and Buffalo should excite Therrien. He is still being paid by the Penguins and can often be found at Consol Energy Center serving as a first-year pro scout for Minnesota.

Lamoriello has long been a presumed fan of Therrien, of whom he spoke in complimentary terms to the Tribune-Review in May 2008 by praising the former Pens coach for his commitment and patience in helping change the franchise’s “culture.”

The Wild, due to years of swinging and missing in the draft (oh, and there was that Marian Gaborik guy leaving), lacks the star power that routinely thrills fans. This is why it’s essential for the Wild to play as a “team” like it did in upending the Capitals Thursday

On a night when the Washington Capitals and their star-studded lineup make a rare appearance at Xcel Energy Center, more eyes might be on Martin Havlat than Alex Ovechkin.

That’s because on Wednesday, the Wild winger’s agent went on the attack over the way his client has been used since signing a six-year, $30 million contract with the Wild.

Agent Allan Walsh said he believes Havlat can be a marquee player in Minnesota, but Walsh said Havlat’s productivity has been inhibited because the Wild is using him in a “purely secondary role.”

Walsh’s comments put coach Todd Richards and General Manager Chuck Fletcher on the defensive Wednesday—one day after Richards and Havlat had what Fletcher called a “productive meeting” regarding these very same issues.